


A Friend, Now Found

by ScatteredStarlight413



Series: Tales of Keiraia [4]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:08:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29878851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScatteredStarlight413/pseuds/ScatteredStarlight413
Summary: The world is terrifying, filled with visions and death and awful things.But you don't have to face it alone.
Series: Tales of Keiraia [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2171718





	A Friend, Now Found

Your name is Flame, and you are hunting in winter. Not for treasure or meat, but for plants. You pause to pick some of the berries Whisper taught you were safe, nibbling on one. You turn around to walk back through the snow, but-

Those footsteps weren’t there a moment ago, and...they look _human_. The marks of boot soles and a careful step. 

You follow them. What else would you do?

The trail’s longer than you thought, but far at the end you see a glowing orangey-red light. A fire. You step out into the clearing, and see a girl, warming her hands at a campfire. She looks to you, and you see her long pointed ears and purple eyes. She waves. “Come sit?”

You walk over to her, cautious, and she smiles, showing slightly pointed canines. “I...who are you?”

“You can call me Kaya. Kaya Starshade.” 

You look at her, puzzled. “Isn’t that your name?” She taps her nose. “A-a-ah! Nope nope! I’m not getting suckered into another fey trap this time! Though, if you could swear by your queen you’re not Fey…”

You shrug. “I don’t know my species, but I promise I won’t use your name for evil.” The girl shrugs. “In that case, yep! My name’s Kaya Starshade. Nice to meetcha...what was your name again?” 

“Oh! Uh, Flame. I’m Flame.” Kaya raises a silvery eyebrow. “No family name? Last name?” You wince. “Oh. My full name’s She Who Keeps the Flame of Hope Alight, Daughter of the Sea, but, well, long.”

“Hm. Seafolk name? You don’t _look_ like a seafolk…” 

“I’m not, but I was raised by one. Called her Whisper.”

Kaya nods. “Fair enough.”

You blink. “Wait, what are you doing out here?” Kaya shrugs.

“I’m a traveler. Elven wanderlust, you know how it is.”

“I don’t, actually.”

“Oh! Well, elves-especially storm elves like me-are wanderers. Sure, we stay home for a while, but eventually, all storm elves hear the call of adventure. So we follow it. I’ve been on the roads for just a few years, but I’ll be traveling for a loooooooooooooot longer. Why are you here?”

You sigh. “Whisper-the seafolk who raised me-told me I had to leave, so, I left.”

Kaya nods thoughtfully. “And you said you didn’t know what you were?” 

You shake your head. “Yeah. I don’t have my memories.”

“Well then. Are you a mage?” You shake your head. “Not that I know of.” 

Kaya taps her fingers against a rock. Tiny purple sparks float from her fingers, swirling together into a circle of light, with shifting signs around the edges. She grasps the sides of it and peers through it at you. “Hmmmm...the magic around you looks _powerful_ , but I can’t see it. It’s all blurred up and squiffled away by shadow-magic. The signal’s distinctive, though-if I see someone else with magic like that I’ll be sure to let you know.”

You frown. “How’d you be able to?”

She looks at you, puzzled. “Uh, I’m going to travel with you? Duh?”

You blink. “Wait, what? Why would you…”

“You’re awesome, you clearly have a story, and-” Her eyes shimmer with sparks. “-you’re a _puzzle!_ And one _I’m_ planning to figure out.”

“Um. Okay?”

Kaya nods slightly. “So! Where to first?”

“...what.”

“Well, I was planning to go to the mage academy in Thundervale, but if you don’t want to…” 

“Oh! You meant where to go. I...guess we could go to Thundervale? You’re the one who knows this place.” 

Kaya grins. “Alright!” She snaps her fingers, sparking purple, and the campfire snuffs out. “To Thundervale!”

The two of you- _wow that’s weird to think, you’re not alone anymore_ -pack up quickly, and Kaya slings her bag over a shoulder. It...fits more stuff in there than it should, but, oh well. You’re not going to question it. 

She dramatically points to the sky, black hair fluttering in the wind, and starts walking along. “TO ADVENTURE!”

You blink, and follow. “To adventure?”

“Yes! TO ADVENTURE!!”

Kaya skips. You walk.


End file.
